Sociology

When policies and practices cause harm in our communities, sociologists seek to understand and change the social conditions that cause it – especially for communities of color, immigrants, poor families, women, youth, and LGBTQ+ individuals. As a sociology major, you can help make this change, too.

Through our hands-on curriculum, you’ll study how people relate to one another and why they thrive—or struggle—under different societal conditions. By learning to ask important questions about human behavior, social inequalities, and institutional structures, you’ll develop the skills to solve problems, embrace diversity, and think globally.

During RAM Inclusion Week, students participate in the annual on-campus Social Justice Summit, presenting on topics concerning education, representation, and liberation.
During RAM Inclusion Week, students participate in the annual on-campus Social Justice Summit, presenting on topics concerning education, representation, and liberation.

Students in our program will:

  • Use classical and contemporary sociological principles and theories to examine human interactions and society
  • Develop skills to work toward social justice and address social problems, including crime, discrimination, and poverty
  • Learn and apply different sociological research methodologies
  • Read and analyze research articles, becoming active consumers of social information and data
  • Strengthen communication skills

Experience is Everything

Students learn how to conduct sociological research–an integral part of our core curriculum—by collecting, analyzing, and interpreting real-world data for projects.

Students added their voices to a dialogue on modern policing tactics and police brutality during Black and Blue: Policing Reform in the 21st Century, an on-campus panel event led by sociology faculty and other key University partners.

As part of their coursework, students in The Immigrant Experience explore relevant sites in both Boston and New York City, investigating how race, ethnicity, gender, class, and social structures have affected various immigrant groups throughout history.

Students can apply their skills, grow their network, and discover new career paths within the field through an elective internship for course credit.


Program Options

The Major

The sociology curriculum focuses on the understanding of human actions and social structures. As a sociology major, you’ll examine the organization of society, power, and social interactions, as well as the concepts of inequality and justice. You’ll also learn how to conduct sociological research—from selecting a topic and designing a project to collecting and interpreting data for a written report.

Plus, as a junior and senior you'll have the chance to engage in practicums to conduct fieldwork and help marginalized segments of the population. Our well-connected faculty can help you obtain internships at a wide range of sites in Greater Boston, including local courts, youth services centers, schools, law firms, hospitals, crisis centers, social service providers, and shelters.
View the Sociology Major Curriculum

The Minor

Gain an understanding of the intersection between human behavior, institutional structures, and social inequalities while developing problem-solving skills you can apply to other areas of study. To complete this minor, you’ll take two required courses and three electives of your choice.
View the Sociology Minor Curriculum

Customize Your Degree

Students can double major in sociology and criminal justice or major in one and minor in the other. Other popular majors and minors often paired with a sociology major include:

Sociology Degree in Three

Earn your sociology degree a year ahead of schedule and start making a difference sooner. By taking classes during summer sessions, you’ll save on tuition and accelerate your career or graduate studies. You’ll also receive special advising to keep you on track to graduate within three years.

Please note: Students enrolled in this program remain eligible for any available financial aid programs (federal and institutional) and can receive their allotted institutional financial aid award throughout their three years here, including summers.
Learn more about the Sociology Degree in Three

Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s

Save time and kickstart your career by completing your undergraduate degree and an MS in Crime & Justice Studies in just five years. You can apply to this dual-degree program in the spring semester of your junior year and take your first graduate course the following fall.
Learn more about the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s 

“Suffolk gave me the grounding, the space, the opportunity, the wraparound services, the needed trauma supports and the love that I needed to become the public servant that I am today.”
Jeffrey Lopes, BS ’12, MPA ’14 Sociology Major, Crime and Justice Concentration

Beyond the Classroom

Three women talk at the Decarcerating Women Today event

Our department’s Center for Women’s Health & Human Rights strives to advance the health and human rights of women and girls everywhere through advocacy, education, research and leadership. We encourage you to get involved by attending events, volunteering, and making an impact through research and work on initiatives, including:

  • Our Bodies Ourselves Today, which continues the legacy of the iconic books by generating, curating and delivering trustworthy and inclusive evidence-based information to women, girls and gender-expansive people.
  • The Women and Incarceration Project, a group of Boston-based academics, attorneys and social workers who research and write about the costs and harms of incarcerating women.
  • The Women’s Writing Circle, to honor and support the diverse voices of all women.

Student presents research at conference

Don’t wait until after graduation to make a difference. Our students work side-by-side with faculty on innovative research, and with outside organizations on projects that have direct community impact. You’ll also have the chance to conduct independent research and present your findings at conferences. So get involved and help address complex challenges like:

CRJ staff (front row, from left) Associate Director Carl Steidel, Founder Carolyn Boyes-Watson, Director Susan Maze-Rothstein; (back row, from left) Instructor Dana Thorsen, School Implementation Manager Ashley-Rose Salomon, Instructor Delinda Passas. Photographs by Michael J. Clarke.

Restorative justice is a community-centered practice in which equitable communities are built, sustained and maintained and when things go wrong in communities victims, offenders, and stakeholders come together to address and repair harm.

The Center for Restorative Justice at Suffolk University fosters collaborative partnerships to support a growing social movement to build just and equitable communities and to institutionalize restorative approaches to problem-solving, harm and violations of legal and human rights. Since 1997, the Center has served as a regional, national and international thought leader in restorative justice policy and practice development.

As a student in our program, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from restorative justice practitioners in the classroom and through programming on campus and in the community.

Success after Suffolk


Here's a sampling of recent graduates’ current job titles and employers.

Student Support Specialist
AmeriCorps
Case Manager, Division of Addiction Services
Beth Israel Lahey Health
Teen Program Manager
Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston
Clinic Coordinator
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Behavioral Therapist
Merrimack Autism Consultants
Case Manager
Safe Voices
Housing Management Assistant
Wellesley Housing Authority
Peer Leader Advisor
Girls, Inc.
Behavioral Therapist
LEARN Behavioral
Counselor
Riverbend Community Mental Health, Inc
Case Manager
Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance
Learn more about our Career Community

Questions? Get in touch!

Portrait of Erika Gebo.

Erika Gebo

Professor & Department Chair of Sociology & Criminal Justice

Email [email protected]

Send a Message

Stories from the Sociology Community

From New England to Norway
Erika Gebo’s look inside the Nordic prison system offers insight into our own

CAS Welcomes New Faculty for 2024
Eleven new full-time faculty join the College this fall

Traveling Scholars
CAS faculty bring lessons learned around the world back to class

For the Love of the Game
Mike Murray, BS '24, has spent 12 straight seasons with the Falmouth Commodores baseball team, advancing from bat boy to assistant general manager

Addressing Correctional Officer Mental Health, Wellbeing Risks
National Institute of Justice grant will allow Suffolk researcher and MA correctional officers to collaborate

How Can Municipalities Rethink Policing?
Suffolk experts weigh police reform in the wake of the killing of Tyre Nichols

Creating a Hub for Decarceration Advocates
Women and Incarceration Project conference connects scholars, advocates, policymakers, lawyers, and formerly incarcerated women

Sounding the Alarm on Correctional Officer Mental Health
Sociology Professor Carlos Monteiro’s work sheds light on a crisis
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